An artist’s conception shows a constellation of satellites in orbit. (OneWeb Illustration)

The Federal Communications Commission today gave the go-ahead for SpaceX to operate a constellation of more than 7,500 broadband access satellites in very low Earth orbit — and also gave the go-ahead for other satellite constellations chasing similar markets.

The different orbital altitudes are meant to provide a mix of wide-angle and tightly focused transmission beams for global broadband access. SpaceX could start offering satellite internet services as soon as 2020, if all goes according to plan and the company sticks to its launch schedule.

In a news release, the FCC said today’s action will give SpaceX “additional flexibility to provide both diverse geographic coverage and the capacity to support a wide range of broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental and professional users in the United States and globally.”

Luxembourg-based LeoSat won the FCC’s go-ahead to provide satellite broadband services in the United States, including high-speed connectivity for enterprises and underserved communities. LeoSat’s proposed 78-satellite constellation will operate under France’s filings with the International Telecommunication Union and a planned authorization from the Netherlands. LeoSat expects to launch its constellation in 2020.

In addition to the companies that were the subject of today’s actions, the international OneWeb consortium is planning to put hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit to provide low-cost global internet access. The FCC granted OneWeb access to the U.S. market in 2017, and OneWeb’s first satellites could be launched from Arianespace’s spaceport in French Guiana as early as next February.